Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: DAD GENES [Dances With Films NY - New York, New York]
"Dad Genes" tells a story of what family means or if genetics really makes a different. The documentary film begins as a connection point of a Seattle man Aaron Long who donated sperm to a sperm bank back in the late 90s because it was good monney. He was an artist, had a PhD in English and has a creative edge but was driving a taxi at the time. Life turned out in a certain way. When would-be mothers, specifically two lesbian couples and a single mom selected his sperm as an anonymous donor for insemination, they never thought that they would be dealing with their offspring looking for who their biological father is years later. The documentary does examine some really dynamic issues. In more ways than one, a lot of personality traits passed on seem to be genetic but it also shows a bit of regret, not on Aaron's part but of the women since beyond donations, he did not carry or raise these children...and yet these kids see undeniable worth in what he is to them. It is very ironic. Long, when the film starts is a person living in an artist collective in one room, no relationship and caring for his sick mother suffering from dementia. His life may not be the one that his resume at the time might have shown.
Aaron seems happy-go-lucky and takes his would be new life in stride (but of course that can be deceiving on camera)...but it does seem opportunistic in certain ways...and yet it is not really. He actually connects and begins seeing the straight woman whom used his sperm to have their child...without knowing him before. The story, according to news reports, in the documentary was the talk of the town. The question was did they do it even partially for that. One really doesn't know. Long it seems parlayed into a little bit of a local celebrity aspect...but also why not. And yet the women who raised many of these children look like they feel sidelined by someone that wasn't there and yet he was never supposed to be and waived any parental rights. It is a very interesting societal and ethical debate on the nature of family that can only come to bear now because of DNA and the Internet. The interesting aspect of "Dad Genes" is that it doesn't judge but it does show the progression over time. One major change does happen in Aaron's life in the documentary and he takes it in stride, even though that was his existence for many years. Some of the kids slip away. Others don't. The aspect that "Dad Genes" shows is that things always change but trying to stop it doesn't change the eventual trajectory. The reality that is shown is that while this film integrates three of his kids, apparently there are dozens more. If anything, the film shows that perspective and perception, sight unseen can sometimes be a very interesting bedfellow. B
By Tim Wassberg
